Development Officer

YMCA of Hamilton/Burlington/Brantford; Hamilton; On-site; CAD 46,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation entitlements

Personal days

Group health plan

Pension plan

Mental Health on Demand

Hybrid work arrangement

Professional development

Staff YMCA membership

Staff discounts

Job summary

YMCA of Hamilton|Burlington|Brantford is seeking a Development Officer to advance philanthropy by managing donor portfolios, identifying opportunities, and supporting campaigns to achieve annual fundraising goals.

You will cultivate relationships with donors, create engaging proposals, and work with leadership to drive community impact across our association.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary education in philanthropy, business, social sciences, community development, or a related field.
• Minimum two (2) years of fundraising experience.
• Experience building relationships with donors, volunteers, community partners, and organizational leaders.
• Strong understanding of donor stewardship and philanthropic engagement strategies.
• Excellent relationship-building, communication, and presentation skills.
• Strong writing skills for donor proposals, reports, and communications.
• Proficiency with CRM systems and using data to inform fundraising decisions.
• Exceptional organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of donors and prospects, cultivating gifts at the $10,000+ level.
• Develop donor communications, proposals, and stewardship materials.
• Collaborate with volunteers, senior leaders, and board members for donor engagement.
• Track donor activity and fundraising performance in the CRM and support campaigns and events.

Skills

Donor relationships

Communication

Presentation

Writing

Organizational skills

Education

Post-secondary education in philanthropy or related field

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

Number of Vacancies: 03

Salary Grade: Grade 3

Starting Salary Range: $46,060 - $57,575 annually, commensurate with qualifications and experience

Department: Association Services

Work Hours: 40 Hours per week

Location: Hamilton Downtown Family YMCA with hybrid work options available

Employment Type: Regular Full-Time Salaried with benefits and a complimentary YMCA Membership

Anticipated Start Date: September 29, 2026

Deadline to Apply: August 20, 2026

Why You’ll Love Working With Us

In addition to working with an amazing team in an inclusive and collaborative working environment that encourages creativity, curiosity, and celebrates success, we offer:

• Paid Vacation Entitlements that increase with seniority (subject to eligibility)
• Paid Personal days and sick days
• A generous employer-paid Group Health benefit plan starting from day 1, with 3 flexible options to choose from
• A Defined Contribution Pension Plan with up to 5% employer matching
• Mental Health on Demand (MHOD) Program
• Hybrid work arrangements with in-person office time to collaborate, innovate and build relationships with your colleagues
• Paid professional development opportunities
• Reduced rates for YMCA Child Care, Camp, and Child & Youth programs (subject to availability)
• Free staff YMCA Health & Fitness Memberships

Position Overview

We believe that it is through the power of our amazing people that the #YSavesLives. By joining the Philanthropy team, you will contribute to making our Y the best place to work.

The Development Officer manages a portfolio of individual donors and prospects, identifies new fundraising opportunities, supports campaigns and events, and helps achieve annual fundraising goals through thoughtful donor stewardship and strategic relationship management. This is an exciting opportunity for a relationship-focused fundraising professional who is passionate about community impact and connecting donors to meaningful causes.

This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic fundraising professional with exceptional relationship-building and communication skills to inspire philanthropic investment, deepen donor engagement, and help strengthen the YMCA of Hamilton|Burlington|Brantford's impact across the communities we serve.

What You’ll Do:

• Donor Portfolio Management & Fundraising: Manage a portfolio of donors and prospects, with a focus on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding gifts at the $10,000+ level. Through meaningful relationship-building and strategic engagement, you will identify new philanthropic opportunities, grow donor relationships, and leverage data and insights to maximize fundraising performance and revenue outcomes.
• Donor Communications & Stewardship: Develop compelling donor communications, proposals, impact reports, and stewardship materials that effectively communicate the YMCA's mission and community impact. Working closely with program leaders, you will translate program outcomes into inspiring philanthropic opportunities that encourage donor investment and long-term engagement.
• Volunteer & Leadership Engagement: Partner with volunteers, senior leaders, board members, and community stakeholders to support donor cultivation and solicitation activities. You will prepare briefings, prospect profiles, and meeting materials that enable meaningful engagement and strengthen philanthropic relationships across the Association.
• Fundraising Operations & Community Engagement: Track donor activity and fundraising performance through the CRM system while supporting campaigns, donor events, and stewardship initiatives. As an ambassador for YMCA HBB, you will build community connections, represent the organization at events, and help advance our philanthropic goals through data-driven and relationship-focused fundraising practices.

What You’ll Bring:

• Post-secondary education in philanthropy, business, social sciences, community development, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum two (2) years of fundraising experience, preferably within the charitable or non-profit sector.
• Experience building relationships with donors, volunteers, community partners, and organizational leaders.
• Strong understanding of donor stewardship, fundraising best practices, and philanthropic engagement strategies.
• Excellent relationship-building, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to inspire philanthropic support.
• Strong writing skills, including experience developing donor proposals, reports, and communications.
• Proficiency with CRM systems and using data to inform fundraising decisions and track results.
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and work both independently and collaboratively.
• Access to reliable transportation in order travel to various work locations.

A Major Asset If:

• You have worked in non-profit, charitable, or public sector organizations.
• You hold, or are working toward, a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation.
• You have experience managing major gift portfolios and cultivating donors at the $10,000+ level.

This position requires a commitment to the YMCA mission and core values of: Inclusion, Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility, as well as a commitment to building developmental assets in children and adults.

All offers of employment will be subject to the provision that the successful incumbent provides the YMCA of Hamilton|Burlington|Brantford with a current and satisfactory Police Records Check. Positions responsible for the direct supervision of children and/or vulnerable persons will be required, in addition to a Police Records Check, to provide a Vulnerable Sector Screening Report at the time of hire. Police Records Checks are reviewed on an individual basis, and the offence(s), if any, is considered in the decision-making process in relation to the requirement of working with children; therefore, not eliminating all candidates with a record from being offered a position.

Organizational Overview

As one of the largest charitable community service organizations in Canada, the YMCA of Hamilton|Burlington|Brantford responds to critical social needs in the community and works to provide solutions. By nurturing the potential of children, youth and adults, the YMCA connects people to life-building opportunities, to each other and enhances their quality of life. We foster social responsibility and healthy living. The YMCA works collectively with community partners that share the YMCA’s determination in strengthening the foundations of community for all people.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility

The YMCA of Hamilton|Burlington|Brantford is committed to creating an inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or neurodiversity.

We understand the social barriers preventing individuals from applying for open roles. We encourage those from the Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and Disabled communities to apply.

If you need any accommodation throughout the recruitment process, please do not hesitate to contact our People, Leadership and Culture Department at [e-mail]

Ready to Make a Difference?

The YMCA is a charity that ignites the potential in people. #YSavesLives starts with building a strong community. If you’re passionate about people and excited to lead impactful initiatives, we want to hear from you!